Nightmares of the Past and Present
by Muse-of-Love-Chibi-Akemi
Summary: Set during the events of X6. A new reploid springs to X's mind memories of his past and his relationship with Zero. XOC fic. Flame Rising, I challenge you to flame this!
1. Dirge of Zero

**I do not own Rockman X**

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**Rockman X Episode 6**

**Nightmares of the Present and Past**

**Act One: The Dirge of Zero**

**One week ago**

Blue eyes, the color of the once happy blue skies of the Earth, scanned the area. Something terrible had happened. Reploids don't have intuition though. Or did they? Were they programmed with it? A white glove held tightly onto a child's hand as she stared at the ruins.

"Are you sure he's here?" the little girl asked of her bodyguard. She looked up at a violet and blue armored reploid. Long golden orange hair fell down her back in wild strands as she ran her hand through it.

"I can see something or someone. It's a faint signal. The Irregular Hunters must be understaffed if they haven't recovered them yet…" she mused, her voice soft yet hard. It was one who has seen many battles.

"Hey! Hey Hikari wait up!" The violet reploid shouted after her charge. Hikari, her purple hair in pigtails and her body clad in a dirty white dress, ran out to the debris. Sighing, she shook her head and chased after her.

Hikari pointed to a section of the ruins. "I see an old man! He looks like Santa Claus!" she remarked with a smile.

The reploid frowned as she caught up. "I don't see anyone. Nor do I read anyone on my sensors but…" her gaze fell to the ground. "Someone's buried!"

As she started to dig, Hikari continued to chat with the Santa Claus. "He says he's done all he can. The rest is up to his friends. Mina-chan, he wears a white lab coat. Do you know anyone with a white lab coat?"

"No Hikari-san. I don't. Damn this ground is hard to dig through…" Mina cursed under her breath quietly so the five year old wouldn't hear her. "Ah! Here we are. Oh?"

Hikari waved to the man she had seen and looked at what Mina had found. "A…That's a…"

"A saber hilt." Mina finished for her. "I think we've found Zero!" she smiled excitedly and started digging fast. What she uncovered though was not Zero. The crimson armored Reploid she had hoped to find was instead an azure blue.

"X! Mina-chan we found X! X-sama!" Hikari danced around happily. Mina was happy too but disappointed. The only reading she had found in the entire sector and it didn't belong to her crush. Life had just grown dimmer. But not too dim, she thought, I still have Hikari-san and X here too.

Hikari stopped dancing and looked up. "Mina-chan. The man is crying! Why is he crying? He keeps saying he's happy. His son is awake and found…"

Mina blinked confused. "Son? Wait…Dr. Right?" she looked around wildly. "Dr. Right?"

"You know him?"

Mina nodded to Hikari as she lifted X out of the ground. "Not necessarily. Your father inputted the information into my system about someone named Dr. Right. It seemed to fit his description pretty well. A ghost I wonder? Oh!"

X's eyes clicked on as he ran a system check. He raised his hand to rub his head. "What? What happened?" he asked, looking around. Seeing Mina and Hikari, he placed a hand on his X-buster. "Who are you?"

Mina frowned and stood up taking Hikari's hand. "How dare you even think that we're Mavericks? We saved you!" Mina ignored Hikari who was tugging on her arm.

X lowered his buster and stood up, brushing himself off. "My apologies, you just never know…you know?"

The violet reploid placed a finger on her lips and nodded. "I suppose you're right but…you could scare children with that thing!"

X kneeled down and looked at Hikari. "What's your name?" he asked with a smile.

Hikari blushed brightly as she giggled. "Yukimura, Hikari." She then pointed to Mina. "Mina is my bodyguard but she's more like a sister."

X stood up again. "A bodyguard hm? I hate to be a recruiter but we're understaffed at the headquarters…hm?" As he held out his hand to shake hers, he noticed the saber in his hands. "Zero…?"

"You…you didn't find another reploid here did you?" he asked hesitatively, almost afraid of the answer. Mina shook her head sadly.

"My creator, Yukimura Hideaki, programmed me with the best radar system money could buy." She bit her lower lip. "I only found you. H-Hey X! At least Sigma's destroyed right?"

X turned away from them both, his hands shaking. Mina had no clue why he would turn away and looked down at Hikari. The violet haired girl said simply and sadly "X-sama is crying Mina-chan. Don't you know that's what happens when someone loses someone close to them? The one that means the world to them?"

Mina blushed, embarrassed. "He's crying? Oh goodness…" She covered her face with her hand and turned away also. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me for being so…heartless. I'm not. Really."

Her words fell out of her mouth clumsily. "I cared a lot for him too, though we never met. I'd be really sad too if Hikari-san was killed. I'd feel extremely guilty that I wasn't there for her. X…Cheer up. I don't know how to say it but…cheer up."

"Geez…the least anybody could have done is leave his corpse around here somewhere. At least we could hold a funeral or something for him." Mina muttered dryly.

A hand gripped her shoulder as she was spun around. Blue eyes met tearful turquoise eyes. "How can you speak about Zero-kun so loosely?" he asked loudly. "How can you just flip out the words like that?"

Mina's eyes widened in shock of X's outburst. She hadn't expected this, at least not from someone who acted so strong and peaceful at the same time. X was a great pacifist and always strived to find a way to end a battle without fighting. "I guess soldiers do break down once in awhile…" she commented. "Hikari-san. We'd best be going. We need to find a new home."

"Right! I don't like sleeping out in the open!" Hikari piped up.

X watched the two of them walk away. Anger swelled up in his chest at Mina for speaking the way she did. However, as he looked down at the saber, they didn't have a place to stay. He could live with putting Mina out in the cold, though it would take while for the guilt to go away but to leave little Hikari out there? Out there where a Maverick could strike?

"Yukimura-san! Mina-san!" he shouted after them. Two sets of eyes looked back to him in curiosity. "I…I can put you up at the Headquarters as repayment for digging me out? I'd like it if you'd stay with us. There isn't many there…It could liven the place up a bit."

He could see Hikari jump into Mina's arms happily. The violet reploid carried her over to X and he was happy to see smiles on both their faces. Hikari jumped down to the ground and hugged X tightly screaming out "thank you" numerous times. Mina looked at X as he looked over to her.

"We both loved him so much." She said quietly. "We admired him from both short and long distances. I don't know how you feel but it almost feels like an emptiness inside of me. I guess I'll have to fillit with something else.It's time though that we picked up the fight."

X simply nodded and allowed Hikari to jump on his back. "I know he's still out there." He replied to her. "It's just a matter of time. He's testing me right now. I can feel it."

* * *

Alia sighed heavily as she looked at her paperwork. So many files, so little time. Why haven't they found X or Zero yet? She felt so useless sitting at her desk. Communication was cut off and she feared trying it again. What if all she heard was static?

Shaking her head, she returned to her work. Her mind though would not let her concentrate on it. She clicked on her headset and decided that knowing the truth was better than to suffer in wait. "X-" she started.

"Alia!" X appeared behind her having entered the room. Alia turned around to see him and tears welled up in her eyes. She was about to run up to him to wrap him in a warm hug when she noticed Hikari in his arms. Behind him was Mina who was scanning the room, making note of where everything was.

"Who are they?" she asked confused. "Survivors?" Hikari jumped out of X's arms and held a hand out to the older navigator.

"I'm Yukimura, Hikari! And this is my bodyguard Mina-chan!" she bowed and hugged Alia tightly. "We found X-sama! All by ourselves we did! And X-sama says we can live here! But we'd have to talk to Signas first."

"X, is this true?" Alia looked up at the azure reploid.

"I'll talk to Signas later after I have them settled in. Don't worry about it Alia." X winked as he gave her a thumbs up. Alia felt her heart jump but placed that aside for now. X turned and gestured for Mina to follow him.

"You'll be staying in the Hunters' dorm for now. We don't have suitable living arrangements but it'll do." He opened the door to one room and was about to enter when Mina placed a hand on his shoulder.

She looked at him sternly. "Why didn't you tell Alia about Zero-kun?" she asked.

X stopped and looked to the floor. He wondered about that himself. Alia deserved the truth at least. Zero was gone for now. But if she had heard he was dead, Alia would have grown depressed. They didn't need anyone to be depressed during these times. "Alia will know when the time is right. I don't like it when she's sad or worried." he answered her.

"X..." Mina whispered surprised. She then smiled. "I think...X, I think I want to join your cause. I want to protect Hikari-san. Please, let me join you!"

She thought for sure that everything would turn out all right. She and Hikari would start a new life at the HQ. What she didn't know was that X didn't want to lose anymore friends. X didn't want anymore casualties. And so his answer was...

"No."

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A/N: My first Rockman X fanfic! I hope this works out. I'm using the original name for the hunters. In the Japanese version they were called Irregular hunters. Please r/r! 


	2. Missing Light

**A/N:** You know...if I owned Capcom and it's Rockman/Megaman characters...I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction now would I? So I don't own it.

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**Rockman X Episode Six**

**Nightmare of the Past and Present**

**Act Two: Missing Light**

**Versus: Giant Mechinloid**

**Two weeks later:**

Mina sat on her bed watching Hikari play with some dolls that she had made from scrap. The violet reploid let out a sigh as she thought about X. Where was he right now? Was he out defeating mavericks? Was he out there rebuilding the earth? Why was she stuck in here? Sure, Hikari had a reason. The pollution outside was horrible. But Mina didn't have to stay.

"Hikari, will you be fine here? I know I'm supposed to watch you but I can't help but feel almost useless. They took us in after all." Mina explained to her young charge. "You understand right?"

She pulled on one of her purple pigtails and looked at Mina with questioning eyes. She smiled enigmatically and laughed. "Mina-chan likes X-sama! Mina-chan likes X-sama!" This obviously caused the reploid to blush and stand up.

Mina eyed Hikari sternly. "I won't be having any of that. My primary objectives include helping mankind. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ask Alia-san where everyone is."

Hikari watched her mentor leave. Her eyes drifted back to her doll and hugged it tightly to her chest. Flashbacks of the debris they uncovered and the Eurasia colony disaster flew by her sky blue eyes. The child looked up and her eyes widened. "Santa Claus?" she asked the specter that had drifted into the room. Hikari smiled lightly. "I like calling you Santa Claus better."

The man smiled back down at her as she stood up and sat on the bed. "I'm worried about Mina-chan. I'm pretty sure my father programmed her with emotions but I've never seen her cry."

Dr. Right nodded his head. "Mina-chan only has me but I'm human. I know what happens when humans age. I want Mina-chan to have a reploid friend at least. Do you think X-sama will understand?" she asked. The doctor nodded his head again, and Hikari smiled widely. "Thank you Santa Claus!"

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"X? X was called for an assignment. There's a disturbance at an old junkyard where a giant mechinloid went maverick"

Alia blinked in confusion as Mina paced back and forth of the Hunter's operation room. Mina was biting on her white-gloved finger as she pondered her next move. "Guess I should suit up." She finally said.

"Suit up?" Alia asked still confused. "Don't tell me you're going out there! I know I've been asking X to find someone else to train but this is ridiculous!"

Mina glared at the navigator. "I'm a bodyguard. I think I know what I'm doing. I've had my share of mavericks." she retorted as she held up two chakrams. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna help out."

Alia watched as Mina teleported out of the room. Sighing she looked over to Douglas who shrugged. "Douglas, could you bring Hikari here? Someone's got to baby-sit that child," she asked softly.

The mechanic gave the navigator a thumbs-up and left the room. Alia switched on her headset. "This is going to be interesting." She whispered to herself. "How's X going to take this?"

* * *

"WHAT?"

Mina blushed brightly as X looked at her with mixed emotions of surprise, anger, disappointment and maybe even embarrassment. When she had arrived, the trail leading to X just stood out. Debris was scattered all over the place and the smell of burning oil filled the trail.

"Look," Mina looked away from X trying hard not to read his face. "I just want to help. Besides, with Zero-sama gone you need all the help you can get!"

"Say that again!" X shouted at her. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that we don't need anymore casualties in this war?"

The violet reploid frowned. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that if you get scrapped no one else is there to lead? No one else is there to fight? Or…" Mina's fists shook angrily. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that Zero-sama is dead and will never come back? I've gotten over it. Why haven't you?"

:Break it up you two:

Both X and Mina stood stiffly as Alia's voice rang in their ears. :You two are acting like children! I mean really, Douglas is more mature than you two put together:

"I think she has a point…" Mina admitted quietly.

:Like it or not X, Mina is there with you. She has a bodyguard background and has put several mavericks down in her lifetime. She may not be A-class or SA-class but I'd wager she's around B-class:

Mina blushed brightly. "I can stay?" she asked in disbelief. "Wow…"

"Well then we'd best be on our way." X turned and ran ahead. Mina, surprised at how quickly he took off, went after him.

"X-senpai! Hey X-senpai!" She looked around. "Where'd he go…?" Looking up, her eyes widened. A drill mechinloid threatened to come down at her. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way.

X shook his head, obviously annoyed. "You've got be more aware than that. Otherwise, you could end up scrap. I'll slow it down for you."

"I'd hate for you to do that…" Mina sighed deeply. "There's reploids put there that need to be helped. Maybe I shouldn't have come along."

X opened his mouth to prove that he was right but stopped. If so much a peep about that were to come out, Alia would be sending an earful to him. His expression softened instead. "Come on. I know you can do it," he told her. "Hold my hand all right?"

Mina blushed brightly. "That's so sudden!" she blurted. X frowned and gestured again. Mina complied and was immediately pulled out of the hole and out into the open. X had initiated his D.A.S.H. sequence.

"When we reach the wall kick it with your feet!" he shouted atop the loud crashing noise of the drills slamming into the ground.

"Kick?" Mina shouted confused.

"Now!"

X had let go of her hand and jumped onto the wall. He kicked it and soared above her to the next platform. Mina bit her lip and leaped up to the wall. She kicked it hard, unsure of how hard to kick it. She soared above X. Too far. The Hunter reached out and took her hand again, pulling her back out of the way of another drill.

"Not bad for a first-timer." he commented with a smile. He raised a finger and placed a hand on his hip. "But not too much power or you can overshoot your shot."

Mina panted as she got up. "R-Right." She said with a grin. "See? I can do this!"

X nodded and activated his D.A.S.H. again. Both made their way up the platforms dodging the drills. X raised his X-Buster and shot plasma bullets at machines that blocked their way.

_Wow, _Mina thought as they journeyed on. _And they say he's a B-class? His skills are topnotch…why? Why is he so underrated?_

"Here we are." X stopped and pointed to a door. "From experience I can tell you we're near the malfunctioning mechinloid. Are you ready?"

Mina held out her two chakrams. Looking down at him, her thoughts returned to Hikari. "If this makes me a better bodyguard, I'll do it. Let's kick Maverick butt!" She blushed brightly. "I'm not programmed for battle cries…" she admitted.

X nodded solemnly and opened the door. Mina raised her weapons but then lowered them when she saw two reploids. "X-senpai! What happened to them?" she asked startled by their injuries.

"We came across that crazy mechinloid. It's huge!" One explained as the other could barely speak. "We tried to take it out but we got battered. We thought we should wait here and stop anyone from proceeding so they don't meet the same fate."

"A good job you did. Get back to HQ." The reploids teleported out as X turned to Mina. "You sure you're ready for this?" This time he wasn't asking out of business. There was concern in his voice. "Miss Hikari will be sad if you don't come back."

Mina shook her head. "Don't be like that X-senpai. I won't die. I'm with you! And you always do your best to help others. Can't you have faith in yourself?" she asked curiously.

X turned away and nodded his head. "Yeah. Sure I can. Come on." He opened the door and both ran in.

Mina's eyes widened. "It's huge!" she commented. The mechinloid was green and white. Attached to it's large rectangular body was a huge jaw that taunted X and Mina by opening and closing, threatening to make short work of them. "Is there even a weakness?"

"Less talking more shooting!" X shouted, raising his X-Buster and shooting charged shots at the monster. Mina nodded and her chakrams started to rotate around her wrists turning into swirls of energy. Swinging one wrist, she sent an energy chakram at the machine.

It did mild damage. X's attacks were doing better but still the machine wasn't letting down. It moved toward them. "Split up!" X shouted, rolling to the left. Mina complied and rolled to the right. Something caught her eye. There was a small sphere above the machine that was connected to it via a blue energy stream. She shot a chakram up to it but, the machine repelled it.

"X-senpai!" she called. He gazed in her direction up at the sphere. "I'll distract him!"

About to protest, X was silenced when Mina spoke "My attacks are repelled." Nodding, he set forth drawing the Z-Sabre. "You can do it X-senpai!" she cheered as her attacks kept the machine's attention. With one swipe of the Z-sabre, the sphere crashed to the ground. The machine crashed also, the resulting shockwave knocking Mina off of her feet.

"Did we do it?" she asked.

X slid down the wall and landed on the ground. He held up the Z-Sabre as the machine started to start up again. The jaw opened and closed, making it's way over to Mina. The reploid started to scream as X dashed over to her when someone had appeared in front of them both. The purple silhouette slashed at the machine, finally putting it down for good. Both eyes widened as the silhouette disappeared.

"I…I can't believe it…" Mina choked.

X blinked, stunned. "That was…"

:Zero: Alia asked over the com-link..

X looked to Mina confused. Mina shrugged and was about to scold sheath her weapons when Alia shouted There's another reploid!

Mina readied her chakrams while X raised his X-Buster. He stood in front of Mina as a black reploid floated down to them both. The reploids eyes were a dark gray with no irises like Mina or X's. He spoke in a deep voice that made Mina shake in fear.

"I see you've met with the Nightmare. The Nightmare that is Zero." He looked down at them all. "I'm investigating the Nightmare. Tell me what you know."

"We know nothing!" X shouted. "Leave us be or I'll shoot!"

"My weapons are far more advanced than your ancient ones. I am High Max." he said simply before shooting out energy shots. Mina dodged to the right as X dodged to the left.

"Mina! Get out of here!" he shouted, shooting charged shots at High Max. Mina shook her head stiffly, not being able to move out of fear. The charged shouts not working, X drew the Z-sabre and rebounded off the wall. Slashing with the sabre he was met with disappointment. That didn't work either.

"Pathetic." High Max taunted. "I will find out more about the Nightmare Zero." He spoke deeply as he teleported away.

"X-senpai!"

X looked to Mina who was obviously distressed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for disobeying orders. I just couldn't move. That High Max…His voice…His weapons…I was scared."

"Mina…" X looked down at the ground grimly. _High Max? Zero Nightmare? What's all of this about? Zero…What do you have to do with this? I remember I dreamed about you but…What is going on?_

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**A/N:** Those :'s you've been seeing are there to indicate that Alia is talking over com-link. And if some people didn't notice, Hikari is from Japan and since Mina was programmed there, she also has the accent. Just to explain some things. 


	3. Into the Amazon

**Rockman X6**

**Nightmares of the Past and Present**

**Chapter 3: Into the Amazon**

**Versus: Commander Yammark**

Back at the Irregular Hunter's HQ, X was helping Douglas fix the Falcon armor. There had been several malfunctions that had been occurring during practice rounds with Mina. Or...at least that was what X had figured. What else could cause the buster gun to release slower blasts of ammunition and for his D.A.S.H. system to also run slower?

"Nothing's wrong with it X." Douglas lifted up his goggles and looked to the Irregular Hunter. "To be honest with you...and blunt..." the mechanic gave him a sly grin. "...you're taking it easy on Mina."

X rubbed his nose and looked away off handedly. "Am not. If anything, she's taking it easy on me. Now come on, we haven't checked the configuration on the buster gun have we?"

Douglas sighed, shaking his head. As he worked on the buster gun, another thought came to him. Without looking to X, he grinned slyly again. "Or maybe Mina is actually kicking your butt and you just won't admit it?"

"Mina's kicking whose rear end?" Mina's voice filled the mechanic's room. X cringed as she walked in with a brilliant smile on her face. "Could this rear end that I'm kicking be an azure blue and have a face the color of a radish?" Mina clasped her hands together behind her back as she looked at the Falcon armor. She whistled lightly.

"Pretty snazzy." she commented.

Douglas nodded his head as X continued to work at the buster gun. "X, there isn't anything wrong with it!" he insisted, snapping his tool case shut. He stood up looked at them both, shaking his head with a heavy sigh and left the room.

Mina stared as Douglas left. She nonchalantly placed her arms behind her head and blinked. "What's eating him?" she looked over to X. "Please tell me you're not bothering him...or are you?"

X stood up and looked over to Mina. "I was just...It's just maintenance." he explained.

Mina placed her hands on her hips. "Right. Now, you may be interested in this little piece of info. Alia-san caught hold of a radio wave. Someone's having a press conference."

"And I should be concerned about this because?" X, looked back over at the falcon armor. He sighed lightly, readjusting the buster gun on it.

"You should be interested because it involves Zero..." Mina stared sullenly at X as he seemed to have been frozen in place. His right hand moved and rested on the armor's shoulder plates. They gripped it tightly as X looked to the floor. "X-senpai...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it...and..."

X shook his head and looked back over to her. "Let's go. I want to hear this."

Mina watched X walk past her. "In person..." he muttered.

She sighed and shook her head. "I'd better follow him..." she said quietly, following X.

* * *

"Attention all reploids on earth! As you all these are chaotic and disturbing times. The Nightmare is upon us." 

"You know when I heard that Isoc was a smart reploid...smart reploid you know, intelligent I thought that well he'll look respectable." Mina pointed up at Isoc's head. "Why are we listening to a guy whose head looks like a toilet paper roll?" she asked X, standing beside him.

"Sh." X placed a finger on his mouth and motioned for Mina to keep quiet.

"It shows reploids a kind of 'dream' for human beings...no, it's a 'nightmare'. The nightmare makes reploids confused. In the worst case, they may malfunction or delete themselves." Isoc's hands were spread wide as he stood at the podium outside in the ruins. "Due to the space colony incident there are few reploids or humans that are left on Earth."

His hand slammed down on the podium in a hammer fist. "We won't accept sacrifice anymore! This would bring us to the Earth Crisis. Taking the matter seriously, we have sent investigators to the eight suspected areas to uncover the mystery of this nightmare phenomenon. It's said that the Nightmare Phenomenon is caused by a ghost of Zero...known once as an Irregular Hunter."

"What!?" Mina was startled as X stared wide eyed at Isoc. "What are you talking about!?"

"How could...How could he!?" she agreed, nodding her head. "Zero can't be the cause of this!"

'Wait X, Mina... 'Alia spoke to them through the com-link. 'Let him finish his story'

"Now," Isoc smiled and looked to the audience. "I'd like to call on volunteers! Unite with us and help our cause! Work for these eight investigators. Our goal is to wipe out the Nightmare and to delete Zero's ghost!"

Mina glanced over at X and noticed his hands clenching tightly. She frowned and looked on sadly.

"Come together for our future!" Isoc went on. "High Max will lead the missions. We guarantee your safety if you join us. Both Irregular Hunters and Reploids now suffer. Let's preserve our future together! We're waiting for you...Everyone!"

"X..." Mina looked over to him again. She was disheartened when the azure reploids shoulders sagged, almost in defeat. He looked on in disbelief not being able to believe what he had just heard.

"How dare..." he said quietly and then raised in volume. "How dare he talk about Zero that way! Zero gave his life to save us!"

'It can't be helped now.' Alia offered. 'Actually we saw the Nightmare shaped as Zero. So, we also need to investigate what the nightmare is. For now, leave Isoc and High Max alone'

'You too Mina!' The violet reploid had been gripping her chakrams with anticipation. 'Leave them both alone or you will be declared an Irregular!'

"Damn..." Mina muttered.

X placed a hand on his waist and held a his chin in his other hand. "I wonder what are those 'suspected areas' he mentioned. Can you find out Alia?"

'X and Mina waited for a few moments. , due to a strong jamming. I can't look into it from here.'

He opened the palm of his hand and hit it with the other one. "So I have to go in there blind." he muttered.

"Me too!" Mina raised her hand in the air enthusiastically. "Don't leave me behind X-sempai!"

X looked to Mina. He nodded. "But what about Hikari?" he asked.

"She'll be okay. She always is..." Mina assured him.

"Who knows, maybe I'll be able to feel the Nightmare directly." _Just like when we saw Zero, _he thought to himself. "Besides, I'm suspicious of the investigators."

'The nightmare...the mission is risky but we must minimize the damage by uncovering and deleting it...' This time it was Signas over the com-link. 'As Isoc said we cannot allow anymore reploids to be lost...X! Mina! Return to Hunter Base now!'

"Roger!" Mina replied.

"We'll be back right away." agreed X.

* * *

Everyone was in the headquarters. Alia, Signas and Douglas stood side by side in front of X and Mina. Sitting beside Alia, leaning on Alia's leg was Hikari with a new stuffed doll. It was a stuffed dog. "We are now beginning our mission to check the eight areas that Isoc had sent investigators to investigate the Nightmare Phenomenon." Signas's arms were crossed as he looked on. "But considering the situations of the Maverick Hunters, you are the only Hunter who could accomplish these difficult missions. As we've lost Zero, you are our only hope. Can you do it X?" 

"I'll do it." X answered, a frown was displayed on his face. _Again, _Mina thought, _again was the reminder that Zero isn't here to help and fight along his side. _

Alia pulled out a clipboard. "I've just obtained the report on the Nightmare areas and the investigators sent to those areas. However, the details of the situations in the areas are still unknown, due to bad radar transmissions. Also, in case any changes occur in the Nightmare areas, I'll show you by a red signal. It's difficult to predict what these changes are though..."

X looked over to Alia and smiled reassuringly. "That's okay. I'll know when I get there. I will discover what the Nightmares are and what Isoc's intentions are."

Signas laid a hand on X's shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard X. Remember, you're our only help."

X nodded. "Roger."

Alia looked to the floor. Mina's eyebrow raised as she glanced over to her. "Umm...X?" Alia looked over to the azure reploid.

"What is it Alia?" X looked back over to her.

"Umm...Nothing...Just be careful."

"Some reploids may accept what Isoc says as true and come to the Nightmare areas..." Signas continued. "If you find them, secure them and send them to Hunter Base."

"And if you find any items, I'll process them into parts you can use." Douglas piped in, swinging around a wrench.

"Good luck X!" Signas smiled and left back to his office.

Before X could turn away, Mina gripped his shoulder and spun him around. "You're not going alone are you?" she asked him, a wicked glint in her eye.

"And if I am is that a problem for you?" he looked her up and down. "You don't look prepared. Besides, I can handle it perfectly fine on my own. Look you can help out by looking out for everyone here."

"Did you know that if you don't come back, all hope is lost!? I..." Mina's mouth shut tightly. _I want to go with you too...So I can find out what is wrong with Zero. I haven't completely given up on him. He is out there somewhere...I love him too much to let him go._

"You...?" X blinked as Mina wrestled with her thoughts.

Hikari stood up and tugged on X's arm. "Let Mina-chan go with you X! I want her to go and beat up the bad guys! Just like you! Come on...please?"

"Hikari..." X looked down at the girl looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He closed his eyes and glared at Mina. "Did you set her up to say that!?"

Mina's eyes widened and she angrily retorted "I was just as surprised as you are!" she yelled.

"Well I'm off." X turned and walked away to the teleportation bay.

"So am I. Somebody has to make sure he comes back alive." she said to Alia and Hikari.

* * *

"You...followed...me...again!" 

Mina looked at X as innocently as she could. "But Hikari insisted and I'm supposed to follow her orders. It's...It's kinda in the program X-sempai." she tapped her head with a grin. "Besides, if you don't like me following you, make it harder for me to follow."

"We're not talking about a simple mechinloid like before. We're talking about High Max like investigators out there. You might not come back from the mission." X turned to leave for the Amazon.

Mina brushed aside several vines as she followed him. "Better me not making it back than you..." she muttered.

X stopped in his tracks. "Did...Did you just say what I thought you said?" he asked, not looking back at her.

She held out her two chakrams and shook her head. "I didn't say anything. I'm going in on my own so...so out of my way!"

Mina rushed past X and ran into the amazon forest. The azure reploid could do nothing but shake his head and run after her. "Sempai! Check it out!" He looked up from Mina's excitement. She was standing on a mechinloid and it didn't seem to mind it one bit.

"What are you doing Mina?" he asked her in disbelief. "We're on a mission remember?"

"I just...I just thought it'd be something we should take note of that's all." she pouted lightly. Her eyes then looked ahead. "Sempai!"

X turned just in time to duck a slice of air thrown at him by a green mantis mechinloid. Mina jumped over the mantis and plunged down into a hole below. "That idiot...!" X cursed to himself lightly before throwing a few charged shots at the mantis. It responded with sending more miniature versions of itself at him. X quickly took out the sabre and slashed the little mantises and it's creator into scrap.

He looked down into the hole. "Mina!" he called.

There was no answer. He grew steadily worried as he jumped down only to see another mantis in a scrap heap. "Mina!" he called again.

"Over here X-sempai!" she called from a small cave. She gestured him over and revealed to him her find. "I wanted to dodge whatever is was that mantis threw at us and I jumped. However I only landed to face another mantis so I destroyed it and found this!"

X looked over her shoulder to see a capsule. His eyes widened as he ran over to the capsule and he ran his hands over the cover of it. "I can't believe it..." he whispered.

"What? What did I find?" Mina watched as the capsule suddenly opened and a blue holographic figure appeared. At least, that's what she chalked it up to be. Could it be a spirit? An apparition? The man was dressed in a white lab coat and appeared to be a bit paunchy. His hair was white and his beard long and white. He stared at x with eyes of pity and...did she actually see it? Fatherly love?

"X...I wonder when peace will return? I wanted you to live in peace and in a warless era..." The man sighed and looked down, almost as if in thought. He then looked back up at X with a stern face. "But we must put an end to this Nightmare...Forgive me, all I can do is give you this armor. However for security reasons the armor won't work until all the four programs combine. Please collect the four programs to complete the armor. Now I will install a foot program for the Blade Armor. This program will enhance your dash performance and enable you to perform the Mach Dash. You can dash while jumping and you'll be invincible in the beginning."

"Doctor..." X stared at Dr. Right. He started to shake his head. "No...Don't go. Don't go! Not this time!"

"For the Earth, for the future..." Dr. Right smiled at the azure reploid. "Good luck!"

Both reploids watched the doctor disappear. Mina slowly looked over to X. His shoulders shook but he was quick enough to regain his composure before she was able to ask him anything. He moved into the capsule and Mina shielded her eyes from the sudden blue flash. When she looked next, X was already moving out. "X-sempai! Wait up!" she called.

The reploid stopped and looked back at her. "We're a team remember? You agreed back when we were at Isoc's press conference." Mina frowned and held a closed fist close to her heart. "I...I know I'm not Zero but please...X-sempai, please give me a chance!"

He continued to stare at her. Mina bit her lip. X turned and started to leave again. Mina chased after him, dodging mechinloids. "X-sempai! Answer me! X...X!"

X turned to look back at her as she shot a chakram in his direction. Startled, he ducked and looked at her wide eyed. "What the hell!? What was that for?"

"It's not dead! X-sempai!" Mina pointed in his direction, standing poised and ready to shoot again.

X looked back and nearly choked on air. It was purple with a yellow head. Wicked tentacles stretched out toward him, threatening to strangle him. Holding out his buster gun, X quickly charged the attack and shot at it. Both of them heard the piercing scream of the creature as it was torn apart by the blast. X seized the glowing orb and looked down at it before storing it away.

"What...What was that?" asked Mina, her whole body shaking. The scream echoed in her mind.

"Alia, can you give us an analysis?"

'From what I can tell X...it's...It's the Nightmare itself! Be careful, the both you. There's more of the same energy readings stead ahead'

"Thank you, Alia." X looked over to Mina. "You...You saved my neck back there...twice. I..." He cougehd lightly into his hand. "I guess, I mean what I'm trying to say is..."

The violet reploid walked over to him. "Your welcome X-sempai!" she said, knocking the azure reploid off guard. "Sorry if I bruised your ego."

Sweatdropping, X shook his head and caught up with Mina. "You didn't bruise my ego! I was...I just didn't know you had such capabilities...and I was out of it for a little while!"

"You're right X, you were zoned out." Mina replied. "You...You really seem attached to that man. Maybe you can tell me about him later?" she asked.

He looked back to her. "Maybe...But first the mission if you will."

"Right!"

* * *

"They seem to be getting along..." 

Douglas looked over to Alia as he held playing cards in his hand. Hikari sat across from him, both sitting cross legged on the floor. "Mina-chan is making friends!" Hikari giggled and hugged a teddy bear in one hand and holding a hand of cards in the other.

Alia smiled in relief. "X has been on his own for a month and has really noticed the difference. With Zero not being here..." She then looked over to Hikari. "Are you winning sweety?" she asked.

Douglas grinned widely and laid down his hand. "Take that! Straight jacks!" He shrugged. "I'm sorry if I'm a little bit harsh on you little one but I was king of poker back in the academy."

"Queens."

Douglas opened one eye. Hikari laid on the floor a hand full of queens. "A...A kid beat me..." he said in disbelief.

"Well...At least X and Mina are getting along..." Alia smiled lightly and turned back to her station.

* * *

"My bologna has a first name it's M I N A...My bologna has a second name it's M I N A..." 

X sighed and turned away from the happy violet reploid. Both sat on a transport mechinloid crossing dead spikes. "What...is that? What are you singing?" he demanded.

"Hikari has a favourite commercial on television. A kid munches on a sandwich and sings a little tune like the one I just sang. It's how I...relax you know...Singing." Mina blushed brightly. "Do I sing that badly?"

"Well.."

"We're here!" Mina jumped up and looked on ahead. "Platforms..." she muttered in dismay.

"I have an idea...Jump on my back."

Mina blushed wildly again. "X-sempai...We barely know each other!" she teased.

X frowned and pointed to his back. "Come on!" he urged.

Mina jumped onto X's back, wondering what his plan was. "Until we get you a D.A.S.H. system, we'll have to do this." he noted and dashed to one platform. "I'm relying on you to remove any obstacles!"

"Right!" she looked up seeing a mantis. She charged up a chakram and shot it at the mantis, effectively slicing it's head off, decapitating it. "Woohoo!" she cheered, shooting another mantis as X jumped from platform to platform.

"A door!" X exclaimed as they entered it.

Mina jumped off of his back. "Come on X-sempai!" she cheered. "Time to investigate the investigator!"

He couldn't help it but a small smile appeared on X's face. He nodded to Mina as both checked their weapons. "Are you sure?" he asked her. "You still have Hikari to protect back at the base."

"X-sempai, if you go on without me and...well, perish...Sorry!" Mina caught X giving her a confused look. "I know, I know! You're really powerful but so was Zero-sama. If you were to perish, I would probably fight in your stead. Now come on! Let's go kick some Irregular butt!"

X and Mina entered the door and jumped down to the arena. From above flew a reploid. It looked like a dragonfly but it was an anthro type. He looked down at the two reploids with his big red eyes. "I know him X-sempai! That's Commander Yammark!" Mina exclaimed. "I would escort Dr. Yukimura to meet with him and another reploid..."

He noted Mina's comment and turned to Commander Yammark. "You're the Nightmare Investigator, Commander Yammark?"

The dragonfly reploid narrowed his eyes at them both. "Yes! I'm in charge of the Amazon Area. Tell me! What is Zero up to? You must know something..."

"X...X-sempai..." Mina whimpered lightly, her weapon shaking in silent realization.

"Zero has nothing to do with this! Stop accusing him!" Mina's pleas were unheard. Zero's name being used again incited X's anger.

"Sempai!"

"I won't trust both Maverick Hunter and Reploid researcher. I don't know what you're thinking...I won't end up betrayed and deleted! I will delete you first!" Commander Yammark flew up to the far corner of the arena, small dragonfly mechinloids circled around him.

"Yammark-san! Wait!" Mina cried out before being tackled by X onto the ground as dragonflies flew over their heads.

"You know him?" he asked hurriedly.

Mina bit her lip. "He's supposed to be dead!" she replied.

Both reploids stood up and dodged green orbs thrown at them by Yammark. X jumped towards the wall and rebounded as he charged his buster. Mina rolled under Yammark and charged her chakrams. Both unleashed their shots and dust filled the air. "Did we...?" Mina looked up at the dust cloud as X landed beside her.

"No...Irregular hunting isn't easier either." X replied. "Look at you, you're sweating already."

"Oh...like you don't sweat." Mina retorted as the dust finally cleared. Both were startled as Commander Yammark was now charging at them with his armada of dragonflies trailing behind him. "We really have to...Commander...Yammark-san, I'm sorry." she whispered.

Both reploids jumped up to the wall and rebounded off, landing behind Yammark. Mina knelt on one knee and pointed her chakram blaster at the investigator while X stood beside her point his own buster gun. The weapons charged up. "Finishing Strike!" they both yelled.

Yammark turned and barely had time to open his mouth before a blast of blue and violet met and dismembered his body. Mina watched in despair a once good friend of her creator died needlessly. _I guess this kind of thing needs some getting used to_, she thought with her fists curled in tight.

"Mina!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked to X. "Think it's about time we head home, huh?" he asked her. A smile was worn on his face. One of praise and joy. Mina's spirits were lifted and she nodded. "X-sempai...about Yammark-san.."

"It takes guts to fight against someone you know. I know that...it's happened to me." X walked over to her. He looked into her eyes and shook his head. "It's all right, you can cry. I won't think any less of you."

"X-sempai...I'm sorry...Crying isn't programmed into my system." she looked up to him, a frown set upon her unusually cheerful face. "If you wish, when we get back to base, I can perform a system search but I doubt you can find any such program."

Mina teleported away, leaving X confused. "What does she mean, not programmed? Something like that doesn't need to be programmed. It comes natural." Looking to Yammark's corpse, he frowned and teleported away.

* * *

X and Mina stood in the briefing room. Alia looked over to them. "Well, Hikari did well while you were away. She didn't seem to worry one bit...Except when you two were fighting, that was when I swear I thought she wanted to cry." 

"What? Where is she right now?" asked Mina worriedly. X looked over to her. _Back to normal, _he thought, _back there after the battle she...wasn't Mina. _

"Playing with Douglas. I never realized he could make quite the horsie. But anyways, I suppose you two want information on Commander Yammark, am I right?" Alia asked watching the two reploids nod. "Well X, I was able to convert Commander Yammark's power for our use."

She handed them both an energy capsule. "Mina, in order to use this all you have to do is slip it into the weapon slot we'll soon be putting on your chakram blaster. If you two find anymore of these, just press the white button on it and it'll switch."

Mina smiled nervously. "Hope I remember!" she replied.

"Don't worry. X will show you the ropes. Using the Yammar option, dragonflies will come to your aid and help in defense and offense. Now...," Alia backed away and picked up a stack of papers. "Commander Yammark. An ex-investigator in the Amazon Area. He was a reploid created for the nature preservation project. There was an incident where he accidentally burned the forest by control disorder. He wasn't accused of the incident but...Someone altered Yammark's flying system...He crashed and died."

X looked over to Mina who was biting her lip tightly. "So he was resurrected." he commented.

Alia frowned and looked to the floor. "He was created by my colleague...Gate."

X and Mina's eyes widened. "Gate!?" X exclaimed.

Mina frowned as well. "Not him...him of all people..."

* * *

A/N: Konnichiwa! Konbanwa! Good morning! I don't know your time zone so here's all three. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. It had taken awhile for me to decide how to write the first maverick stage. However, here it is written. By the way, all you X/Mina fans, I have a Christmas gift for you! Click on my profile and you'll find _Christmas Mistletoe_, a giftfic for all you X/Mina fans. Good old fashioned fluff...featuring X in an elf suit. You'll find the answer to the X/Mina question there. For now though...sayonara! And don't forget to review, review, review! Or I'll send Sigma on you! 

Omake Special! 's equal action

Mina and her training!

Alia: 'watches Mina train' She's really strong...

Signas: She can run fast too...

Alia: But there's one problem...

X: 'looks at a napping Mina' She doesn't have any stamina for it all...Wake up sleepy head!

Mina: Zzzzzzzzz...


End file.
